The Next Day
by magensby
Summary: Evangeline reveals her true feelings to John and his reaction is not what she expected. Now faced with a major decision how does she move on from this disappointment and move on from John? This is dedicated to my staunch supporter and reviewer, that(dot)damn(dot)pebbles who has been with me from the beginning of my writing journey and to all the other JOVAN fans out there.
1. Chapter 1

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**The Next Day **

**Chapter 1**

**Day 1**

The scene is John's office when Evangeline reveals her feelings for him.

"_Can't you see that I'm falling in love with you?"_

"_I thought we banished words like 'love' from our vocabulary."_

"_Yes, I probably said that."_

"_What you're asking for I don't know if I'm capable of that anymore but if anyone can change it, it's you."_

"_If that ever happens, let me know."_

The next day at the courthouse Antonio is exonerated in Tico Santi's murder and John Doe's hearing is scheduled to take place. The DNA test results have returned and John will soon receive them.

Before the John Doe hearing John asks Evangeline to be patient with him. After the hearing she sees John in his office and they agree to give their relationship another try.

Still in her heart, Evangeline knows that John does not love her the way that she loves him. In order to protect her heart she writes him a letter. She knows that if she sees him he will try to convince her not to give up on them but she feels that she has to step away now before she drowns in this sea of doubt.

The letter reads:

_John, I know that I said that I would give our relationship time to grow but I can't. Yes I do love you and that much is true. You say that you 'could' love me but I know that at this point in time you do not. I can't put my life on hold for a 'maybe'. It is clear that your feelings are conflicted. Your need to always be there for someone else does not allow you to be here for me and that is not fair to either of us. _

_It hurts me to say this but I can't be with you the way things are. You are not free to love me with the restrictions that you have placed on your heart. Sure we started out in a casual relationship that morphed into something much more. As I said to you, I can't keep putting myself out here without knowing how you feel. Now I know and I must protect my heart against any further hurt. It's kind of funny that I'm the one who suggested we have this casual thing and banish words like 'love' and 'relationship' from our vocabulary. Who could have guessed that I would be the one professing love? Well I did and now I must cut my losses and move on. No, I don't want to be friends John. After having been intimate with you I don't think that I can just put all of that 'back in the bottle' and act like nothing happened. _

_I'm more upset with myself than anything. I thought that I could handle a casual fling after my disaster with RJ but evidently I was wrong. Once again my heart betrayed me. Perhaps I'll take a page out of your book 'I'm not capable of love anymore'. It seems to work for you, to be detached only allowing the pleasure of the physical but keeping the heart totally out of the equation. But right now I will simply retreat to my neutral corner, lick my wounds, and live to fight another day. One thing for sure is that I will definitely take a break from romance. _

_Have a good life John. Unfortunately I won't be a part of it._

_Evangeline_


	2. Chapter 2

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**The Next Day**

**Chapter 2**

(My apologies if any legal procedures mentioned are not correct.)

**The next day**

Evangeline is saved from having to deal with John's response to her letter. As circumstances would have it she is called out of town to meet with a client with no definite expected return date when John receives her letter.

Before John even receives Evangeline's letter he's engrossed in other matters. He reviews the DNA test results and realizes that John Doe is actually Cristian Vega. John goes to Statesville Prison to talk with John Doe/Cristian Vega. John confronts Cristian with the DNA test result and Cristian asks that John not reveal his identity. Cristian pleads with John to keep his secret because he doesn't want his family to know that he is a murderer and he doesn't want Natalie to waste her life waiting for him. John informs Cristian that he cannot do that and as an officer of the court he must present this report to the court for them to do with as they choose. John further tells Cristian that just because he did not know who he was at the time of Tico Santi's death it does not negate the fact that he did kill a man and he may still end up in prison. Cristian realizes that he can't persuade John to change his mind so he resolves to face whatever consequences occur as a result of the DNA test results reveal.

John returns to Llanview and calls Evangeline to meet him at his office at the station. She doesn't answer so he leaves a message. When he returns to his office he finds a letter on his desk but before reading it he calls DA Colson to set up a meeting with him, Commissioner Bo Buchanan and ADA Nora Hanen. Before leaving for the meeting John puts the letter that he found on his desk in his inside jacket pocket.

At the meeting John tells everyone about his suspicions about John Doe as a segue into his reveal of the DNA test results. John hands the report to DA Colson and while the DA is reviewing them John tells Bo and Nora the results. DA Colson passes the DNA report to Nora and she and Bo review it together. John tells them that he visited Cristian Vega at Statesville and recounts his conversation with Cristian.

The reaction by Colson, Bo and Nora is not at all what John is expecting. Colson rakes him over the coals for having the test done without consulting with the DA's office; Bo is upset that John did not consult him too; and Nora is livid that John did not reveal the results before a mentally challenged man was sentenced to life in prison. Nora asks the question to which everyone wants to know the answer,

"_John, how did you get a sample from a relative without revealing why you needed or wanted it?"_

John doesn't want to reveal Evangeline's involvement in this so he simply responds that he managed to get one and that's all that he says. Nora doesn't fully believe him but she doesn't press him for more information.

DA Colson does conclude that he must inform the defense attorney and the trial judge of this development. This may result in a new trial. What no one says but everyone is thinking is how will they smooth over John getting the test done in the first place. Colson and Nora will handle notifying the attorney and the judge. Bo and John leave to return to their offices. Before John leaves though Nora asks to speak with him privately.

John steps into Nora's office and she doesn't waste time getting to the point,

"_John, does Evangeline know about this?"_

"_Nora, I can't say anything about what Evangeline knows. You will have to ask her yourself."_

Nora knows that she won't get anything more out of him so she resolves to ask Evangeline herself.

"_Alright John but this is a fine mess that you've gotten us into I will tell you. You do know that you may have to answer more questions so be prepared."_

"_I know Nora but I did what I thought was right. Bo probably wants to talk with me too so I'd better go now."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**The Next Day**

**Chapter 3**

John leaves and goes to Bo's office. As he expected Bo is waiting for him.

"_John you're a good detective and I'm sure you had your reasons for doing the test but you should have told me of your plans."_

"_I'm sorry Bo but I just wanted to make sure that John Doe was John Doe."_

"_John I have to ask this. Did you do this for Natalie? You seem overly concerned for her. I know you feel at fault for Cristian's death, though now we know he's not dead, but did you do this for personal reasons?"_

"_I don't know what you mean Bo. What personal reasons?"_

"_John you've done a number of things, questionable things, for Natalie's benefits. Things that I, even being her uncle, would not do. Digging up a body to name one, so I ask you again, did you do this DNA test for personal reasons? Do you want a personal relationship with Natalie and if so where does that leave Evangeline? I told you months ago that you needed to decide in which direction you're going. It's not fair to either lady for you to 'sit on the fence'."_

"_Bo I did the test to prove that John Doe is John Doe. I may have gone about it in the wrong way but now it seems that it was the right move."_

"_So where does that leave my niece John? You know that she has feelings for you and at one time you had feelings for her. Do you still have feelings for her and if so what do you plan to do about them? And before you say that this doesn't have anything to do with your job I beg to differ. You used department funds to have that DNA test done. You digging up bodies without a court order reflect on the department. _

_John you can't run loose and expect me not to say something. Until the defense attorney and the trial judge weigh in on these DNA test results I'm putting you on administrative leave. John use this time to reflect upon and review your actions. You need to decide whether you still want to work here as a member of the department and not as a 'lone wolf'. _

_I know how personal issues can bleed into the job. With my family I know all too well how that is possible but we have to minimize the effects John. I haven't asked you anything about Evangeline and I won't. That is personal for you. I did ask about Natalie because she is my niece and that is personal to me. _

_With John Doe actually being Cristian Vega that is going to really confuse and upset Natalie. She has a habit of running to you when she's feeling like that. She's a married woman John so take that into account when she comes your way. Her family is here for her. I know that you are her friend and yes she will need her friends now but she wants more than friendship from you John, I can see that. You can't offer anything more to her than that or am I wrong? You never did answer me about your feelings for her. What if she rejects Cristian and wants you? Are you available to her John?"_

"_Bo you know that I don't talk about my personal life but I will say this. Yes I am Natalie's friend and yes at one time she and I tried to make a go at a relationship but I wasn't ready and Natalie didn't want to wait. I've moved on, at least I'm trying, and I have something good with Evangeline. I don't want anything to come between that. That's all I have to say on the matter. _

_I understand the reason for the administrative leave. Once this gets out everyone will have an opinion about my actions and coming up with their own reasons as to why I did what I did. Maybe I'll 'catch up on my reading' while I'm away from the office. Isn't that what people do when they're not working? I don't know because I'm always working. Just let me get some things from my office Bo and then I'm out of here."_

"_I'll let you know when you can return John. Make good use of this time. I'll talk with you soon."_


	4. Chapter 4

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**The Next Day**

**Chapter 4**

John goes to his office and packs up a few things and leaves. He stops by Rodi's to pick up dinner and heads to his apartment for the evening. In the apartment building lobby he quickly moves to the stairs to avoid talking with Roxie and Rex Balsam who are at the front desk. Fortunately for him they are so engrossed in their conversation that they don't even notice him. John's glad to avoid them because they're always trying to get him involved is something regarding Natalie. He understands their devotion to her and knows that she will need them even more now that Cristian is alive but they totally disregard that he's involved with someone else.

Once in his room John takes a shower and sits to eat his meal. Drinking his beer at the end of his meal he remembers the letter that he put in his jacket pocket. But before he retrieves it he calls Evangeline again. He's starting to get a bit worried that she has not returned his calls and he's left several messages. She's probably working on a big case he thinks. She does sometimes seclude herself from interruptions when she's working a big case. He'll try tomorrow. He has a lot to tell her. He has no idea how she will react to the DNA test results but he knows he has to tell her before everyone else finds out. It's bad enough that Colson, Bo and Nora know before Evangeline does but now the defense attorney and the trial judge will know too.

Meanwhile in another city, Evangeline is working through the night preparing for an early morning meeting with her client. It's not unusual for this client to call and request her appearance with not much notice. He pays her handsomely for that availability and since she has no pressing legal matters to which to attend she is more than willing to rearrange her schedule to accommodate him. Plus, it works out to her benefit in that she's not in Llanview to deal with the aftermath of John reading the letter that she left for him in his office. She reflects on her actions of earlier in the day.

Leaving the letter in John's office allows her to avoid him and it helps her when she calls the Desk Sergeant to inquire as to John's whereabouts and is told that he is out of the office for several hours. That actually saves her from having to drop it off at his apartment and risk encountering Roxie Balsam and her incessant questions as to why she is there, what is the letter about and any other questions her inebriated brain can muster as if any of it is any of her business. With the internal turmoil Evangeline is already feeling she cringes at the thought of having to deal with Roxie.

So with the letter delivered and now she is out of town she can finally take a cleansing breath. She knows that she won't quickly get over her feelings for John but she hopes that with time the hurt will lessen and the love will fade. Although she wants to believe that she did love her ex-boyfriend Dennis, and she must have felt something for RJ otherwise she would not have stayed so long with him but somehow this time it hurts a lot more. John is an exciting new landscape and with his air of mystery it intrigues her to peel back his many layers but it is not to be. Her heart betrayed her and ventured into forbidden territory and now she must recuperate and recover her equilibrium.

Setting aside those thoughts she returns to the matter at hand but not before checking her phone once again and seeing the many missed calls and messages from John. She refuses to respond for she assumes that he's read the letter and wants an explanation. She explained everything in the letter and she has no more words to add to that. This work now gives her another outlet to divert her attention to something other than her disastrous love life. This time away will serve her well.

Returning to her research on the pressing case she works for a few more hours then calls it a night. Selecting her outfit for the early morning meeting she showers and goes to bed hoping that tomorrow proves more successful than yesterday was for her.

But thoughts of John do not leave Evangeline even in her dreams.

_[In her dream the office scene where she tells him that she's falling in love with him changes and he pointedly responds this time to her that he does __not__ love her. He enjoyed her body but his heart belongs to another. Feeling outrage Evangeline wants to slap him but she doesn't. This was her doing. She offered her body to him without any declaration of love. In fact she herself avoided adding such description to what they were doing. She thinks that it's interesting how we can describe the physical act as 'making love' when love is not involved. Perhaps we think that saying 'having sex' is crass but that's exactly what the physical act is without the heart involved. So how can she blame him for taking what she offered? But Evangeline will not be defeated. With her head held high she tries to maintain her dignity and leave his office with some level of self-respect. She reaches out her hand to shake his hand and says, _

"_See you around Lieutenant. It's been interesting. Although I may have been falling in love with you I can also stop falling and oddly enough it won't take long. Thank you for your honesty, though brutal as it might be, but hey we're both adults here. We'll leave this with what we started with, nothing."_

_She exits his office just as he opens his mouth to rebut her but by then she's in the hallway with the door closed behind her. As she walks out of the building she feels the sting of his rejection but she refuses to cry. She will not cry for some man who doesn't value her.]_

Evangeline does not wake from her dream but merely drifts into a dreamless sleep for the rest of the night.

While Evangeline is sleeping John finally reads the letter. At first he's happy to see that it's from Evangeline. He's hoping that it will explain why he hasn't heard from her. As he reads her words he grows more and more concerned. When he last spoke with her she agreed to be patient with him and to give their relationship a try but now in this letter she writes that she's breaking up with him because he doesn't love her now as she loves him. His eyes look around his living room as if trying to find a clue as to what changed her mind. If he's honest with himself he knows that he was asking a lot of her to be patient with him. They've been together for several months now and it's understandable that things would change between them. Already they went from 'no strings attached' to 'strings attached' but exactly what that means they did not define. John's not sure how to feel about her words or how to respond. He soon realizes that maybe this is why he has not heard from her at all today. With the lateness of the hour he can't just go to her apartment now to confront her so he resolves to wait until tomorrow. One thing he knows for certain is that Evangeline will have to explain to him just why she changed her mind so quickly. It has to be more than what she writes in her letter and he deserves an explanation.


	5. Chapter 5

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**The Next Day**

**Chapter 5**

**Day 3**

The next morning Evangeline is up bright and early and after finally falling into a restful sleep she does arise fully refreshed. Putting aside her worries about the 'John situation' she leaves her hotel for her meeting with her client. Setting her phone to forward all of John's calls to voice mail she's relieved not to have any interruptions from him at least until she's in a better frame of mind.

Her client, Mr. Burns, has had her on retainer for years. He considers her part of his family and has told her that if her mother weren't alive he'd adopt her as his daughter. Mr. Burns trusts only her to handle this sensitive legal matter. It is a bit more for her, that's why the late night research, and why she has an open ended schedule. She's not sure how long it will take to resolve this matter but she's certain no more than a week if all parties can agree. Mr. Burns is the head of a multinational conglomerate and he has an entire department of attorneys but on certain matters he's very particular about who handles them.

Evangeline first handled a matter for him soon after she clerked at the Supreme Court. Mr. Burns was so impressed with her acumen, diligence, forthrightness, and if you can believe it, her ruthlessness at such a young age that he made it a point to keep abreast of her career through the years. During these years he's limited the number of times that he's interrupted her daily routine in order to secure her services but when he does require her assistance he does without hesitation and makes it well worth her time and effort.

Mr. Burns, Evangeline, another attorney employed by the company that Mr. Burns heads, and the other involved parties with their attorneys meet for several hours. They break for lunch then resume for the rest of the afternoon. With neither party willing to concede even a little they adjourn until the next day to resume talks in a hopeful attempt to reach a compromise.

Not wanting the bitterness of the meeting to spill into the evening Mr. Burns takes his group of folks to dinner at a nice restaurant downtown. They talk about any and everything except the case. Everyone is thankful to have a breather from the tension of the day but they all do decide to call it an early evening so that they can rest and be prepared to battle again tomorrow.

Evangeline returns to her hotel room, showers and changes into her pajamas but she doesn't go to bed. For an hour or so she conducts additional research on the case and confident with her findings and feeling prepared for tomorrow's meeting she closes down her computer and puts away her notes.

She checks her phone and finds no new missed calls or messages from John. At first she's a little disappointed but then she is relieved. Surely this means that he read her letter and agrees that they should part ways so he won't contact her anymore.

John's day is not as filled with meetings as Evangeline's. In the morning John wakes determined to talk with Evangeline about her 'Dear John' letter. He decides not to call her because if yesterday is any indication she is avoiding his calls. Instead he will go to her office to speak with her there.

John arrives early to find Evangeline's office door locked and the lights are off. There is no indication that anyone is in there. Her receptionist is not at her desk so John waits for her to return so that he can inquire as to Evangeline's whereabouts. Checking his watch John is about to give up and leave when the receptionist turns the corner but she's not dressed for work. Instead she's wearing casual clothing and not her usual office attire. John asks her when will Evangeline come to the office today and the young lady responds that Evangeline is out of the office working with a client for at least a week. The receptionist is a bit puzzled that John doesn't know this. She thought that her boss and the Lieutenant were a couple. Not one to pry she just gathers the files from her desk. That's the reason why she came to the office this morning. She asks John if he needs anything else. John stands there as if in a daze but slowly recovers and thanks her for her time and walks away.

John makes it back to his car and sits there for some time processing the news that Evangeline is out of town. The questions start running around in his head:

\- Did she plan to leave ahead of time so that I can't confront her about the letter?

\- Was this unplanned and has nothing to do with the letter?

\- Why hasn't she returned my calls or responded to my messages?

\- How important of a case is this? Can I help her in any way?

\- When will she return? What will I do until she returns?

\- Can I convince her to reconsider her decision? Is she really through with us?

Not coming up with any answers to his questions John decides to make use of his time. With only one other option John goes to talk with Nora. He knows that he's not Nora's favorite person today, what with the Vega case but he wants her opinion on what to do about Evangeline. Nora is Evangeline's best friend so maybe she knows something about Evangeline's letter.

When John does finally get to talk with Nora first she has to calm down from still being upset with him about the Vega case and then she has to calm down after finding out that Evangeline is out of town and maybe John's action had something to do with her leaving town. Nora knew nothing about the letter but she does tell John that she's not surprised.

Nora asks John what did he expect when he beds a woman for months, she tells him that she's falling in love with him and he says that he doesn't now if he can love again. John looks shame-faced at Nora as she's talking to him but she doesn't let up. She does ask John to tell her truthfully what does he want from Evangeline. If he can't love her why doesn't he just leave her alone to get on with her life?

"_Nora that's a reasonable question and as Evangeline's friend I know you're looking out for her best interests. Honestly what I want from Evangeline is a chance. Now that I know she has deep feelings for me I'm not going to abuse those feelings. Although I can't say at this moment that I love her it does not mean that I can't love her. For so many years I thought that I would never love again but Evangeline has awakened something in me. I don't want to lose that. I want to love again and if anyone can make that happen it's her."_

"_Speaking from a woman's point of view John you really dug yourself into a deep hole. Evangeline, as any woman would do, is erecting barricades and walls against any feelings she has or might have had for you. Initially I would say leave her alone and allow her time to regroup from your rejection but unfortunately time is not your ally. The longer she has to lick her wounds and gain determination to get over you as quickly as possible the harder it will be for you to convince her to give you a chance to convince her that you want a relationship with her. Right now she's evaluating what has happened with you and reviewing her failed relationship with RJ. In that mind space she will probably swear off relationships altogether, at least for a while."_

"_She's out of town for at least a week Nora. That's a lot of time for her to erect those walls that you're talking about. I don't know where she is. I've left phone messages but she hasn't responded to any of them. Going to her office is how I found out that she has left town. What do I do now?"_

Nora takes her phone from her purse and dials a number. John starts to say something but she puts up her hand to stop him.

"_Evangeline, hi it's Nora. Hey wanted to call and find out if you're available for lunch. No you're not. Oh you have a case out of town. How long will it take? Oh okay. Where are you so I can send a congratulations gift basket when you win the case? Okay the Regency Hotel, room 1215, the Regency in Philadelphia. Okay I have it all written down. I know you will do a great job. Oh that's the guy that keeps you on retainer for special cases. If you need to pick my legal brain just let me know. Why didn't you tell me about this last week? Oh he just called you out of the blue so this wasn't planned. Good, good, call me when it's over okay. I'm serious about the congratulations basket. I may send one anyway, a 'you go girl' basket. You know we women have to stick together. All right I'll talk with you later. Be good. Love you. Bye."_

All while Nora is talking with Evangeline John is waiting with bated breath hoping for something that will provide him an opening into gaining an audience with 'Lady Evangeline'. When Nora starts talking about sending a gift basket John whips out his notepad and pen and jots down the hotel name, room number, and city. When Nora ends the conversation she beams at John.

"_Well John you have the information that you need. The ball is in your court now and only you can play it. Don't lose this opportunity John. If you fail now just know that she won't give you another go at her heart. We women are not one for three (3) strikes and you're out. You've already squandered one opportunity. Women are more for 'fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me'. There is no third time."_

John grabs Nora and hugs her. She's just given him what he needs to make an effort to reclaim his life. Of course he knows it won't be easy but Evangeline is worth whatever he has to do to have her reconsider his place in her life.

Before John leaves Nora's office she does add,

"_John, a word of advice. Don't try to convince Evangeline to let you back into her life if you plan to continue to be Natalie's rescuer. It's time for you to choose John. You can't have it both ways. You can't always rescue the 'damsel in distress' and expect the 'queen' to patiently wait for your return. Now that you know where Evangeline is and you know that Cristian Vega may get a new trial consider carefully your next actions. Natalie seems to have you in her sights even if Cristian is released. If you want her then go be with her, after she divorces Cristian of course. Don't put Evangeline back in the triangle that you created. My girl deserves better. If you can't commit to her, leave her alone. Don't worry she'll get over you eventually."_

"_Nora I know that the way that I handled Natalie was not good for anyone. It allowed her to depend on me more than she should have. Even if John Doe weren't Cristian Vega I still wouldn't choose Natalie. What everyone seems to forget is that if I wanted to be with Natalie all I had to do was be with her. I was with Evangeline because I wanted to be with Evangeline and no one else. I'm aware that my actions confused everyone but the only important one for me is Evangeline. Now I must do all that I can to let her know that what I said to her some months ago remains true today. She's the woman I want to be with 'yesterday, today and tomorrow'. Talk to you later Nora. I'm on my way to see a lady."_


	6. Chapter 6

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**The Next Day**

**Chapter 6**

**(So will John win his lady love or will he find that the walls that she has built around her heart too insurmountable?)**

**Day 4**

The following day John McBain finds himself at the Regency Hotel in Philadelphia in room 710. Even though Llanview isn't that far from Philadelphia John waited until the morning to drive over. He reserved a room last night and plans to talk with Evangeline today. Arriving after the rush hour he assumes that her meetings are already in progress so he checks in and leaves a message for her at the front desk.

Once in his room he reviews attractions in the area. He wants to plan a special evening for the two (2) of them. He orders flowers to be sent to her room with a card that reads, 'I only want a chance with you.' John does not want to just show up at her door. He wants her to receive his message and the flowers first and then call him. Of course she will wonder how he knows where she is. She might assume that he charmed it out of her receptionist or she may just ask him when she calls. It wasn't like she left trying to avoid him. It was an unplanned trip.

By lunchtime John decides to leave his room in search of food. He finds a casual eatery not far from the hotel where he sits and eats a sandwich, fries and a soda. He doesn't want to fill up on lunch because he's looking forward to the special dinner he has planned.

When five o'clock comes and goes and John hasn't heard from Evangeline he calls the front desk to ask if she picked up his message. The clerk tells him that his message remains and she has not responded to their voice message notifying her of the written note waiting for her at the front desk. By six o'clock and all of his plans for the special dinner are in jeopardy he receives a call from Nora.

"_John, it's Nora. Evangeline just called me to ask a legal question. During our conversation she informs me that she's in New York City for the day meeting with people regarding her case. She will return on tomorrow. I didn't tell her anything about you. I know that you were probably wondering where she was so that's why I'm calling. Hang in there. Be patient. She's worth it."_

"_Thanks for calling Nora. Yes I was wondering where she is and yes she is worth the wait. What's the news on the Vega case? That's something that I need to also tell Evangeline."_

"_As expected the defense attorney filed for a new trial but the judge ordered a new DNA test and transferred John Doe to St. Anne's for a psych evaluation. The judge will decide his fate when the test results return. He put a gag order on all of us until the new DNA test results are received. I'll call you when they arrive and then you can explain everything to Evangeline."_

"_Thanks Nora for all of your help. Good night."_

John quickly cancels the dinner reservation and decides not to make another one until after he talks with Evangeline.

Evangeline's unexpected trip to New York City proves quite beneficial to her case. She's glad that it didn't take all day so she makes it back to her hotel at nine o'clock that evening. Passing the front desk the clerk recognizes her and stops her to give her the written note. A bit surprised that she has a message but thinking it's probably from Mr. Burns or one of his attorneys she takes it with her to her room instead of immediately opening it.

Upon entering her room she again has something waiting for her. On the table near the window is a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. She smiles thinking that Nora did send her a gift as she said she would. Rushing to read the attached card she wants to see what encouraging words Nora has for her.

Evangeline opens the card and reads 'I only want a chance with you.' She stops and looks around for the note that the front clerk gave to her. Hurrying to read it she rips the envelope into shreds getting to the note inside. With her hand to her mouth, her heart pounding in her chest, she reads the words written there. She turns to exit her room, then she stops, she turns again, and once again she stops. Her head and her heart are battling for dominance. Her head says, 'it can't be this easy'; her heart says, 'I want to believe that it is true; her head rebuts, 'don't make it easy for him, he has to prove himself; her heart responds, 'this is not a game of one upmanship'. What seems like hours are only minutes that pass during this head and heart battle.

In room 710 John orders room service. He hasn't eaten since lunch and with his cancelled dinner plans he's now hungry. After a shower and a change into casual clothes John waits for the food to arrive and thinks about what tomorrow will bring once he finally sees Evangeline. Maybe the flowers and the note will soften her enough for her to agree to meet with him and talk to him about 'them'. He wants there to be a 'them' but he's not sure if she does. Somehow he has to change her mind. John has no 'tricks up his sleeve' and he's not one of those suave and debonair guys who can charm a woman. He's just John McBain. He's just a guy who wants a girl to be his.

While waiting for his food John looks for something to watch on the television. He settles for a late baseball game. A knock at the door alerts him and when he hears, _"Room Service"_, he rises to open the door. The waiter rolls in the cart and places the tray on the table. John signs the bill and turns to check on his order while the waiter rolls the cart out of the door. Satisfied that room service did send the right food John realizes that he didn't hear the door close. Turning to close the door John stops in his tracks.

There standing at the almost closed door, still dressed in her suit from her New York City trip, is Evangeline. With a flower from the bouquet in one hand and his note in her other hand she demands,

"_What the h*** is this John?"_

**A/N: **Okay guys now you know that you have to continue to read to find out how this all ends up for these two. It is such fun to write about these two characters because the story could go in so many different directions. You know that you are intrigued so stay tuned for the rest. Hee, hee!


	7. Chapter 7

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**The Next Day**

**Chapter 7**

**(Come on you didn't think she'd make it easy for him did you? Yes she loves him but it will take more than a note and a few flowers to heal the bruise on her heart. Now is John up to the task? Plus how will Evangeline respond to the John Doe/Cristian Vega news?)**

John is really glad to finally see Evangeline and get the time to talk to her but from her demeanor he can tell that this will not be an easy task.

"_Evangeline I'm so happy to see you. If you will come in and share my dinner I am more than prepared to answer any of your questions. So as to the flowers and the card, well one the flowers are to say I'm so glad to know you and have you in my life. Also I want another chance at a relationship with you. Second, the card is to notify you of my presence in the hotel and ask if I might have the pleasure of your company. Any more questions?"_

"_What do you have to eat? I just arrived back at the hotel and I haven't eaten since lunch?"_

John readily takes that as a peace offering and transfers the food from the tray to the table and divides it in two (2) portions. Good thing that there is enough for each of them.

"_Why are you here John. Didn't you read my letter? I broke up with you. Anyway how did you know I was out of town and at this hotel?"_

Before John can answer she says, _"Nora."_

"_Why the bold gesture John? That's not something you usually do."_

"_Well maybe I need to change what I usually do Evangeline. I need you to help me. I'm here because I want you in my life, yesterday, today and tomorrow. I may not have said the words 'I love you' but I don't see my days without you in them. What do I have to do for you to give me a place in your life?"_

"_John you have me at a disadvantage here. I can't think straight. I'm working on this really big case and I need to stay focused. You are a distraction I can't afford. But I will say this and then I really must leave._

_John if you're serious about having me in you life in a committed relationship then you have to be committed to me and not every 'damsel in distress' who comes your way. I will not be second choice for anyone. You admitted that at one time you tried to have a relationship with Natalie but it didn't work out. You admitted to me that she still has feelings for you but you never said anything about your feelings for her. Now that John Doe is in prison Natalie is once again available to you. I didn't end things with you because of Natalie. I ended things with you because of you. _

_I'm in love with you John. I know that I said 'falling in love' but I know in my heart that I love you. But I can't be with you knowing that you will never love me or rather not be in love with me now and with little hope that it will happen in the future. I have a few minutes so I will ask you this. What do you have to offer me John? Why should I even think about reconsidering my decision?"_

John knows that in this moment his entire happiness hinges upon his answer to these two (2) questions. If he tries to bluff his way through with half answers he will lose her forever. It has been too long since anyone mattered so much to him so the only thing he can do is,

"_Evangeline, I offer you my heart. This battered, bruised, seldom used, hidden away from the light but yearning for your warmth, heart of mine. If you reconsider your decision I will do all within my ability to give you me exclusively. I admit that I have made mistakes as it relates to you. As a male I took the physical offerings readily and held back from any emotional attachment. But with you that soon became impossible. That time when you went to San Francisco, we were without strings, but I spent my evenings trying to find things to do until I could talk to you on the phone. You still are the best part of my day. Let's work together to be 'us' Evangeline. I'm willing to do that. If I tell you now that I love you of course you won't believe me but don't say that it will not happen. I told you that I didn't think that I had that ability to love in me but if anyone can change that it would be you. You told me if that ever happens to let you know. Well I'm letting you know that I want to explore that happiness with you. I'm here for you Evangeline, for you."_

Evangeline hears what John says but her head will not allow her to just concede.

"_I have to go John. I have meetings all day tomorrow until about two o'clock in the afternoon. I should be ready to head back to Llanview at four o'clock. Might I catch a ride back with you?"_

John is still waiting for her to tell him if she has reconsidered her decision but she offers no response about that. Taking whatever time he can get with her he tells her,

"_Sure. I'll be ready when you are."_

"_Thank you John I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for dinner, the flowers and thanks for coming. That was sweet of you. Don't worry John I'm not disregarding what you just said I just don't have a response now. We'll talk on the ride back and I promise no drama so don't worry about having an accident while responding to something I say. We can both be hotheaded but we also can be level headed. I'm sure that we can resolve this matter. The jury is still out on whether we both will like the verdict. Good night John."_

Evangeline promptly stands and leaves not looking back at John, as he remains seated at the table. Although John didn't know what to expect when he finally saw Evangeline that definitely wasn't it. Now he has to make it through the rest of the night and most of tomorrow before he knows if he has a life with or without Evangeline.

**(A/N: Dum-de-dum-dum. The sound of sad violins plays in the background.)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**The Next Day**

**Chapter 8**

**(The return to Llanview)**

**(All the legal procedures are figments of the writer's imagination unless of course if they are actually correct. Ha! Ha!)**

**Day 5**

Evangeline calls John on one of her breaks from her meetings to inform him that she will be ready to leave at six o'clock this evening. All parties should have documents completed and signed by five o'clock and then she can leave for her hotel. Since she's already packed all she has to do is check out and hit the road. John tells her he will be ready and asks if she wants to have dinner before the drive back to Llanview. She declines and says that she just wants to get home.

John packs his bags and waits for the hours to pass. At four o'clock that afternoon Nora calls him and tells him that the new DNA test results arrived and verify that John Doe is Cristian Vega. The judge overturns the conviction and releases Cristian into his brother/cousin Antonio's custody with a stipulation that Cristian continue psychiatric counseling. The judge has concern that since Cristian was brainwashed that there may remain mental triggers that may cause him to exhibit irrational behavior. As to overturning the conviction the judge ruled that Cristian was not in his right mind when the crime was committed and was not reasonably sane to stand trial. The pysch evaluation substantiated that too. The gag order is now lifted. The family now has Cristian and oddly enough the judge commends John for having the foresight to have the initial DNA test done. It saved the State from perpetuating a grievous error by keeping a mentally abused man in prison for life for a crime over which he had no control. John is shocked and totally relieved at the results. As soon as they start the drive back to Llanview he will tell Evangeline everything that has happened.

On the return trip to Llanview John tells Evangeline everything about the Vega case. Once he explains the gag order she forgives him for not telling her last night. Surprisingly enough she commends him for not keeping Cristian's identity a secret. She surmises that keeping such detail a secret would have caused undue hurt to all parties involved. By the time John pulls up to Evangeline's apartment she is asleep. Reluctantly he wakes her and carries her bags up to her apartment. He really doesn't want to leave her. During the trip back they do talk about their past relationship and although she does not agree to readily rescind her decision she does agree for them to continue to talk and spend time together. At this time she prefers to keep the status of their relationship between the two (2) of them, or rather the three (3) of them since Nora knows about the breakup. For all that anyone else knows they're still a couple.

Evangeline stresses that John has to show to her, in his actions, that he is committed to their relationship. Once the news of Cristian Vega's return spreads all eyes will turn to John and his interactions with both Natalie and Cristian. Evangeline vows to John if there is even a hint of duplicity on his part as it relates to Natalie then she will call it quits with him and there will be no 'rethinking' anything.

Before John leaves Evangeline's apartment to return to his car and go home she says to him as he turns the doorknob to leave,

"_John thanks again for coming for me. It may seem like I'm being hard on you about rekindling our relationship but just know that this is hard for me too. I would love nothing more than to run into your arms and forget about everything that I wrote in that letter but I can't. It hurts too much. I love you John, I really do. I didn't plan on falling in love with you but I did. In that you didn't fall in love with me I have to stop blaming you for that. You feel what you feel and if you don't love me, you don't love me. Now you say that you're open to exploring the idea of love again that's a good start. So I will consider that a turn in the right direction. I would hate to draw a line in the sand about the 'I love you' and miss out on something wonderful. Your actions will say a whole lot more than your words John. When your actions say 'I love you Evangeline' then maybe that will encourage me to wait patiently for the words 'I love you Evangeline'. I've been patient with you John and as of a few days ago I reached my patience limit. So let us say that today, now, at this moment, we move on to a new chapter in the Evangeline and John story. Let's make it noteworthy. You don't give up on us and I won't give up on us. Early on you told me that we're worth fighting for John. Either we fight this battle together or we don't fight it at all."_

Like in her dream, Evangeline reaches out her hand to shake John's hand. He reciprocates and adds his own words,

"_Evangeline I will not give up on you or on us. Yes we are still worth fighting for and I intend to win the battle with you by my side. Words cannot express my gratitude for you agreeing to stay in this battle with me. If I should stray or misstep along the way please don't despair and throw up your hands in defeat. This is like learning to walk again for me so please be patient with me. If you have to, simply bring my faux pas to my attention and I will do all that I can to make the necessary corrections. It's late so get some rest and if it's okay with you I'll call you tomorrow and maybe we can set a date for dinner some time next week. I won't crowd you this weekend. You need time to rest from your busy week. I start back to work on Monday. If you want to talk to me before then just call me. I'm available to you whenever you need me. That is one thing that I do plan to change between us. Other than something at work, you are my priority. Now I'm leaving. Get some rest."_

John knows not to try to kiss her, as would have been his custom to do. He leaves and returns to his apartment, showers and goes to bed.

After John leaves Evangeline decides to delay any thoughts about her and John and instead showers and goes to bed. She doesn't even bother to unpack. Tomorrow is time enough to process and reprocess all that has happened in the last week between her and John. At least now she knows there is a her and John whereas at the beginning of the week for all intents and purposes she and John were 'kaput'.

**A/N: Music playing in the background,**

"Don't Say You Love Me" by Fifth Harmony

Don't say you miss me when you don't call (when you don't call)  
Don't say you're hurting without the scars  
Don't promise me tonight without tomorrow too  
Don't say you love me unless you do

Songwriters: Lisa Scinta / Nate Cyphert / Edvard Forre Erfjord / Ian Kirkpatrick / Henrik Barman Michelsen

Don't Say You Love Me lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Rights Management


	9. Chapter 9

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**The Next Day**

**Chapter 9 **

The next day, Saturday morning, dawns with bright sunshine and clear skies. John decides to sleep in late. For him it has been a whirlwind of a week. Evangeline declared her love for him; Evangeline broke up with him; John Doe is Cristian Vega; Evangeline skips town; Cristian Vega is released from prison; Evangeline and he are somewhat back together.

John really doesn't know if all that Evangeline said means that they are back together or not but it does give the indication that they're not broken up like she planned. John knows that he has to be patient. Even though Evangeline says that she doesn't blame him for not loving her he knows that it has to have hurt her when she said that she was 'falling in love with him' that he didn't readily say 'I'm falling in love with you too'. It wasn't enough that he did say that if he ever loved again she would be the one. John, John, John, he thinks, you have to do better.

John dresses and decides to go to Rourke's gym to 'beat up the heavy bag'. Dressed in sweats with his wallet and keys in his pockets John opens his door to head out but standing at his door is Natalie Vega.

Funny enough John is not surprised to see her. He knew that eventually she would show up to quiz him about Cristian. Bo hit the nail on the head when he suggested that Natalie will run to John when she is confused and upset.

"_Hello John. Are you heading out to somewhere?"_

"_Yes I am Natalie."_

"_Well can I talk to you first? It's about John Doe or Cristian as we now know."_

"_Come in for a few minutes Natalie. I don't have much time."_

John doesn't want to spend a lot of time with Natalie nor does he want to talk about Cristian. Only select people know that John knew days ago that John Doe was really Cristian Vega. Maybe Cristian told his family that John knew.

"_John how long have you known that John Doe was Cristian? Is that why you wanted me to spy on him? Did you know all along and wanted Cristian locked up? Did you do this to be with me John? Why would you do that to Cristian? You are with Evangeline. Why would you take Cristian from me and still stay with Evangeline if you wanted to be with me? Are you planning to leave Evangeline? Were you just waiting for Cristian to be sent to prison before you broke up with her and then pursue me? I don't understand John?"_

"_Natalie you have this all wrong. Who says I knew anything about John Doe being Cristian before he was sentenced?"_

"_Cristian said that you came to the prison to tell John Doe that you know that he is really Cristian Vega. Even though Cristian asked you to keep his secret you told him that you couldn't do that. And now days later Cristian is at home. So tell me John did you do all of this to be with me?"_

"_Natalie why would I do that? Cristian is your husband. I'm glad that he's alive. For so long I carried the guilt of his death on me. Now that I know he is alive I am happy for him and you. It does grieve me all the pain he endured during his absence but he can now get treatment for that."_

"_John that still doesn't answer my question. Yes it's great that Cristian is alive and yes he is my husband but did you do this for me John?"_

"_No Natalie I did not do this for you. When I realized that John Doe was Cristian I informed the necessary authorities, as is my duty as an officer of the court. Now if you will excuse me I was on my way out._"

John ushers Natalie out of his apartment and locks his door. Natalie looks at him but John can't read her expression. Deciding not to try and figure Natalie's mood John makes his way to Rourke's gym.

After being cooped up inside all week Evangeline forgoes the gym for an outside run in the park. Fresh air and a nice breeze do wonders for her disposition. That's not to say that she's in a bad mood but she does have a lot on her mind. This morning she allows herself to think about the situation with John and decides that she should give it another try. Now that they both agree to be more forthcoming with what they expect; can give; and want to happen in the relationship; she concludes that a recipe for success. Returning to her apartment with a smile on her face and a spring in her step she's ready for a hot shower and then to the diner for some food.

Settling into her booth at the diner Evangeline orders her food and spends the wait checking her voice messages. One in particular causes her to smile. In no way is she surprised at the message. Just as she's preparing to respond to the message a shadow falls on her table.

"_Evangeline can I talk with you?"_

Trying ever so hard not to smirk or give any hint of attitude she responds,

" _Natalie, I would prefer not to, but, if you insist, you have until my food arrives and then the conversation ends."_

During the ride back from Philadelphia and talking with John about the ups and downs of their relationship they both come to the conclusions that they erred in their approaches with Natalie. Both of them tried to accommodate her in deference to her loss of Cristian but that only served to make Natalie believe that she could treat them any old way. For one Evangeline determined that no longer will she treat Natalie with 'kid gloves' nor will she stoop to Natalie's level of rudeness.

Still standing at Evangeline's table Natalie is surprised at Evangeline's response. She has never heard Evangeline use such a tone with her but even still Natalie continues with what she wants to say.

"_I'm sure you've heard that John Doe is Cristian Vega. Cristian is back at home now. John knew and for me he helped Cristian get released. That shows you how much John cares about me. I told you Evangeline that John and I have a connection, one that you will never have."_

"_Natalie is that connection anything like the one you have with your husband Cristian?"_

Natalie is so irritated with Evangeline's quick comeback that she turns a bright shade of red and opens her mouth to say something to put Evangeline in her place but before she can mutter a word someone else steps up to speak to Evangeline.

"_Hi Evangeline. It's good to see you. I haven't seen John yet to thank him so when you see him thank him for not keeping my identity a secret. It worked out for the best. I have my life back. I have __**my wife**__ and my family __**all because of John**__. __**I can't thank him enough**__."_

Evangeline looks from Cristian to Natalie and notices the hesitancy in their interactions. Cristian is hugging Natalie from behind and with his head on her shoulder he's smiling. Natalie's face though tells another story because although there's a smile on her face the smile does not reach her eyes.

Another thing is that both ladies were so engrossed in what they were saying to each other that neither knew that Cristian was anywhere around them. Evangeline wonders just how much of their conversation did Cristian hear. That's not her concern so Evangeline tells Cristian that if she sees John she will relay the message. Cristian then pulls Natalie with him to the counter. The food arrives and Evangeline asks the waiter to put it in 'to go' boxes. She's changed her mind about eating in the diner and returns to her apartment to enjoy her food in peace.

A few hours later and after her nap Evangeline's sitting on her sofa reading a book when she hears a knock at her door. She asks who it is and John replies. She opens the door and invites him in. They both sit on the sofa.

"_Thanks for the heads up about Natalie. She did confront me at the diner. She talked about how you got Cristian released all for her and how you two (2) have a connection that I will never have with you."_

"_I thought that she would find you after I didn't give her the answer that she wanted. Evangeline I've done all that I know how to do to show and tell her that I want to be with you. I don't know what more to do. That's why I called you to warn you."_

"_We just have to stay united John in how we respond to her. She can and will twist any niceness into something that will suit her purposes. But I have to tell you that I think she made a mistake today. She talked about you and this connection between the two (2) of you and then the next thing we both know Cristian is standing behind her. I don't know how much of the conversation he heard but if he heard his wife talking about a connection with a man who is not her husband, that sounds like trouble for the future."_

"_Well that's something that Natalie and Cristian have to resolve. Just leave us out of it and things will be fine."_

"_Oh John, Cristian asked me to thank you for giving him his life back."_

"_He's welcome and I hope that he makes the best of it. Now enough talk about Cristian and Natalie. I stopped by to check on you just in case you did encounter Natalie. Now that I'm here I want to invite you to dinner. I know that we didn't plan to see each other this weekend but since I'm here I will seize the opportunity. There's this really nice inn on Route 22. They serve good food and I thought maybe you'd like to join me. I had wanted to have dinner with you while we were in Philadelphia but that didn't work out so what do you say? Will you join me for dinner tonight, say about seven o'clock, business casual?"_

"_That sounds like a good idea and with it out of town maybe we can actually enjoy a quiet meal without interruptions. So what time should I be ready?"_

"_I'll pick you up at six o'clock. So it's a date?"_

John is happy that he stopped by to check on Evangeline. He didn't expect to see her this soon but with Natalie's earlier visit to his apartment he called Evangeline on his way to the gym to alert her to the distinct possibility of a visit from Natalie. Looking at Evangeline he notices how she's tilting her head and one side of her hair falls over covering her eyes. He reaches to tuck the hair behind her ear. She stiffens and he jerks his hand away. Other than the handshake he has not touched her since the breakup. When he jerks his hand back Evangeline looks at him and frowns,

"_I'm sorry John. I didn't tense because you touched me. I just remembered something that happened at the diner that has me thinking that all might not be right with Cristian."_

"_What is it? Do you want to talk about it?"_

"_It was the way he said what he said about you. Hold on let me remember what he said."_

Evangeline stops and thinks as if like a computer searching her hard disk drive memory for the conversation and the exact wording.

"_Cristian said 'I have __**my wife**__ and my family __**all because of John**__. __**I can't thank him enough**__. It wasn't so much what he said but how he said it. John we know that when Cristian returned the first time that he blamed you for what happened and he was very upset that Natalie was in a 'friendship' with the man who was the cause for their separation. Today the way that he emphasized the word 'wife' and stressed the part that he 'couldn't thank you enough' there's just something menacing about that. We have no idea all that Cristian endured during his time away. If the brainwashing was enough to turn gentle Cristian Vega into a cold-blooded killer what else could still lurk within him? The judge had the foresight to demand continued counseling. John, be careful around Cristian. If at all possible make sure not to be alone with him and especially not alone with Natalie. Wait, wait before you tell me that you're a big boy and you can take care of yourself, just humor me here. We have a ways to go on our journey of life and I want you around to share it with me."_

This time John takes her face in his hands, tucks her hair behind both ears,

"_I hear you and I will abide by your request. You're right we have no idea what Cristian's capable of now. The elevator incident with Antonio for one comes to mind. For you and for me I will stay alert. I do agree to limit any solo appearances with either Natalie or Cristian. Since Cristian is released into Antonio's custody we probably need to alert him to what happened today. It would be better if you tell him since you are the one who actually witnessed it."_

"_Since you put it like that I think that you're right. I'll call Antonio now. No better time than the present."_

Evangeline calls Antonio and tells him everything that happened and Antonio agreed that they will all stay alert. He thanks Evangeline for calling.


	10. Chapter 10

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**The Next Day**

**Chapter 10**

**(The incident)**

Several weeks after the verbal exchange in the diner, Evangeline does encounter Cristian again in the diner. She's leaving with her order and he intercepts her before she reaches the door.

"_Evangeline! How about spending some time with me. I see that you have a thing for men who were once involved with Natalie. Why not add me to your list?"_

As an attorney Evangeline knows how to control her facial expression, 'never let them know what you're thinking', 'don't give the opposition any clues as to your strategy'. Evangeline decides not to join in Cristian's banter. She sidesteps him to reach the door.

Not to be deterred Cristian grabs her arm and jerks her to him to detain her. The diner patrons are all witnesses to this exchange and several start to stand to intercede but before any of them can stand to separate Cristian from Evangeline she grabs Cristian by the throat and squeezes. Within a few seconds Cristian falls to the floor in a lump. Evangeline calmly opens the door and exits.

A few of the patrons check on Cristian and find that he is still alive. Antonio rushes out from the back to find his brother still on the floor. Fortunately one of the responding patrons is a doctor and examines Cristian before Antonio arrives. The doctor assures Antonio and everyone else that Cristian is fine and he should regain consciousness shortly.

"_The young lady just administered a choke hold to render her assailant unconscious. He will revive soon."_

When Cristian does revive Antonio quickly packs him up and makes plans to take him to a psychiatric facility for treatment. Antonio remains keenly aware of the judge's stipulation about counseling. Antonio thought Cristian was doing okay but evidently he is not. For him to physically manhandle Evangeline is not okay and Antonio has to do something immediately and considering if John got to Cristian before Antonio can get him out of town that would be a total mess.

John does hear about it and by the time Evangeline is back at her office at her desk and reviewing her files John is at her door.

"_Why didn't you call me?"_

"_Call you about what John?"_

"_About Cristian, Evangeline."_

"_What about Cristian, John?"_

"_They said that you did some kind of choke hold on him and he fell to the floor. Where did you learn that?"_

"_I did have a life before I met you John."_

John takes that as 'conversation over', so all he can do then is walk to her, stand her up, kiss her lips, and say "My girl!" He leaves and returns to his office and she returns to her work.

Cristian does receive treatment and is in for several months. The doctors manage to find and delete the triggers implanted in his psyche. He has not approached Evangeline again. He's too embarrassed to even face her. He asks Antonio to apologize to her but Evangeline shrugs off the apology and continues on with whatever she is doing at the time.

**Author's Note:** Although this is a short chapter it is crucial to the events that occur in the coming chapters. It sets the stage for major character interactions. Continue to read until the end.


	11. Chapter 11

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**The Next Day**

**Chapter 11**

Evangeline and John are now officially a couple again. They spend as much time together as they can and try hard to share quality time with each other in spite of their demanding jobs.

The leaves on the trees are changing to the vibrant colors of early fall. September brings cooler temperatures and the air is crisp and the sky is clear. The summer showers give way to sunny days and sleeveless wear is replaced with light jackets. School is back in session and the streets are not as crowded during the day because vacationers are either back in school or back at work.

But all is not as great as it seems. There's a storm brewing just below the surface. An underlying darkness has come to dwell in fair Llanview. If you ever saw the movie or television mini series, _**IT**_, it reminds you of the monster that dwells just below the surface. Not many recognize it but it's there nonetheless.

Recently there has been a rash of muggings, vandalism, and even arsons. These types of crimes are not new but these have a dark undercurrent. All of the victims are members of the religious or racial minorities. Such selectiveness in victims has never occurred in Llanview. The town residents are getting nervous about this change that is occurring in their community. Other than the religious and racial specifics there is no pattern that the police can ascertain. For a few weeks the crimes stop and the residents return to their regular routines.

New businesses move to Llanview. More people move in and there is a boom in construction. Llanview University and Llanview General Hospital have both expanded their campuses. Both the Sun and Banner newspaper are experiencing increases in their subscriptions and advertisements and as a result are increasing staffing.

Why does it usually happen that when something good happens something bad is just around the corner? Someone sets fire to DA Hanen's home and businessman Vincent Jones's warehouse. There are no injuries but once again the victims fit the profile from the earlier crimes. The community is once again outraged and once again the authorities have no clues as to the identity of the perpetrators.

Today Evangeline meets with Cristian Vega at his art studio. They have not spoken to each other since the diner incident. Evangeline decides to make an attempt to make peace because she doesn't like to be on the outs with someone especially after they've tried to make amends and apologized. Cristian is better now, so she hears, since his treatment. She's willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. She does call John and asks him to meet her at Cristian's studio. She doesn't want a repeat of the diner incident when Cristian grabbed her. Cristian knows that she's coming because he asked her to stop by to take a look at his paintings, a peace gesture, not a 'come up and see my etchings' invite.

Soon after Evangeline arrives, Nora drops by and then Officer Sahid of the Llanview Police Department. Nora and Officer Sahid ask Cristian why does he want them there. Cristian tells them that he didn't call them. Looking around the room Evangeline feels that something isn't right. She tells the others that she smells something odd and then she falls to the floor. Within moments the others each fall to the floor unconscious.

Outside in the hallway, Lindsay Rappaport approaches Cristian's studio to check on his painting progress. She wants to display some of his work at her art gallery. At the door she notices that not only is it closed but it is also covered with tape around the seams. Behind Lindsay, unseen by her, a man creeps up and clubs her on the back of the head and that renders her unconscious. The man starts to leave but then hears,

"_Stop! Police! Step away from the lady with your hands in the air!"_

The man does not step back nor does he raise his hands. Instead he turns and fires. The bullet hits the wall behind the police officer but the officer's bullet hits the man in the chest. The man then falls to the floor and drops his gun. The officer approaches the man, retrieves his gun and handcuffs the man. The man's chest wound was not to kill him but to render him harmless. The officer then calls for backup and for paramedics.

Once he secures the assailant he checks on Ms. Rappaport. She's alive and is reviving. She says,

"_The door."_

The officer looks at the door and notices the tape all around it. He rushes to the door, removes the tape and opens the door. The scene before him makes him cringe. He smells the gas and runs to open windows. Once the windows are open and the air is circulating he looks around and sees her. His heart drops to his stomach. He picks her up and carries her out into the hall. By that time other officers arrive and secure the assailant. They also assist him by removing the other three (3) victims while he works on her. The paramedics arrive and transport all of the victims to the hospital. He rides in the ambulance with her. She remains unconscious and unresponsive but she does have a pulse.

At the hospital they take her for treatment and he remains in the waiting area. In walks Commissioner Buchanan, who approaches him and asks,

"_What happened John? We have a man in handcuffs with a chest wound; Lindsay Rappaport with a head bruise; Evangeline, Nora, Cristian and Officer Sahid knocked out from carbon monoxide poisoning. You rode in the ambulance with Evangeline. Did she say anything?"_

John sees Bo but doesn't see him. All he can concentrate on, all he can think about is Evangeline. They gave her oxygen while in the ambulance but she hasn't regained consciousness. John knows that he needs to respond so he tells Bo what happened. By the time he finishes the doctor comes out to say that Evangeline has regained consciousness. John stumbles back and sits in a chair. He is so thankful that she is alive. Bo asks about the other victims and the doctor says that they all regained consciousness. The prisoner is out of surgery and will recover. The bullet did not do much damage just was very painful. The shooter evidently knew just where to shoot to stop but not to kill. Bo looks at John and smirks. Bo decides to handle the prisoner so that John can concentrate on Evangeline. Bo is also worried about Nora.

Three (3) hours later John is at Evangeline's apartment sitting on her bed watching her. They release her from the hospital so he brings her home. One of the officers brought John's car from the art studio to the hospital. Evangeline's not asleep because she's afraid that she won't wake up so he's staying awake with her. They take a shower together when they arrive. Their showers usually turn into a 'love making fest' but not this time. She holds on to him after they wash each other. They stand in the shower until the water runs cold. John leads her out of the shower, dries her and dresses her in her pajamas. He put her in bed so that he can dress himself. He starts to lie down next to her and reaches to turn off the light. Her voices trembles when she says,

"_Leave it on."_

He does and rolls over to enclose her in his arms. She snuggles up to him and rests her head on his chest. The thump, thump, thump of his heart puts her to sleep. When he feels her relax, he closes his eyes and falls asleep too.

Morning comes and she's still lying on his chest. He dreads waking her but he has to go to the bathroom. He slides from beneath her and she does not wake. She mumbles his name and he smiles. She'll be all right in time. They both had a scare yesterday but today is a new day. He finishes in the bathroom to find her awake. Now she has to go to the bathroom and goes in as he exits. Once done she returns to the bed but doesn't lie down.

"_John, what happened yesterday?"_

He tells her what he knows from Bo's interrogation of the prisoner.

"_Oddly enough the prisoner waived his right to counsel. He was proud of what he did by getting rid of the non-pure members of the community. He belongs to a group called, One Pure People (OPP), a white supremacy group. They're responsible for the rash of crimes targeting minorities. The guy's name is Tate Harmon and he supplied the names of others in his group in a plea bargain deal to lessen his sentence. The only problem for him though, he didn't realize that because he took his hate crimes across state lines it's a federal case and the Feds will prosecute him for the crimes in all the involved states and even with a lesser sentence in Pennsylvania when you add the years for a conviction in the other states, he will still be in prison for life. Plus several of the victims are filing civil lawsuits against the organization."_

"_He tried to kill us like we aren't human. What kind of person does that?" _She says with anger in her voice.

John holds her and says, _"He's the one not human. He's going away for a long, long time. What do you want to do today?"_

She takes his face in her hands and kisses him.

"_I want to live today John."_

They make love and fall back asleep.

Later in the day Evangeline calls Nora to check on her. John goes to the station to finish his report on the shooting and the gas attack. Cristian, Officer Sahid and Lindsay all recover.

Now that the authorities know who committed those other crimes they close those cases. Every Llanview resident victimized by this OPP group add their names to the civil lawsuit. Hurt them in the bank account.


	12. Chapter 12

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**The Next Day**

**Chapter 12**

A little over a year later Llanview continues to thrive. It learned a great lesson from the events of the past year. Treasure and protect your citizenry. The civil lawsuit verdicts across the country bankrupted the OPP and victims received payouts ranging from a few dollars to many dollars. All the members are prosecuted and found guilty and are serving time in various prisons around the country.

John, Bo, Michael, Antonio, Todd and Cristian sit in the den drinking beer and watching the baseball game. A cool, comfortable Saturday afternoon and they finally finish their chore for the day and receive their reward, uninterrupted time to watch the game. Munching on chicken wings, hot dogs, chips and dips their cheers fill the room. Strange enough they're all rooting for the same team even if it isn't the Phillies.

Evangeline, Nora, Marcie, Layla, Simone and Talia are sitting in the living room reviewing wedding catalogs and baby books. For their snacks they have finger sandwiches, fruit and vegetable trays and assorted juices.

-Simone Dalton is a recent transplant from New York City. She and Evangeline met when they both worked on the case for Mr. Burns. She's now dating Todd.

A few months after the OPP attack Todd was tried for Margaret Cochran's murder but the case was thrown out when Margaret showed up in court with their baby. Margaret handed her child to Todd and then told her story. She accused Dr. Spencer Truman of setting up Todd to get Blair Cramer. When Truman called Margaret a liar and said that she was crazy a police officer tried to restrain her to return order to the court. Margaret grabbed the officer's gun, shot and killed Truman and officers opened fire on her killing her.

Now Todd and his children live in a new house and Todd has a new lady in his life. He does share custody of Starr and Jack with Blair but has sole custody of his son from Margaret who he named Sam.

-Layla and Antonio are a couple after Layla helped Antonio gain custody of his daughter Jaime. They're getting married early next year. Finally Antonio realized that his relationship with Jessica was not right for him. Just why in the world he got involved with his brother's ex-girlfriend in the first place he still doesn't have an answer for that.

-Marcie and Michael married in May of last year.

-Talia and Cristian seemed to have bonded after the gas attack. Having shared that near death experience brought them together.

-Nora and Bo realized the frailty of life after the gas attack and decided to try again to make a life together. Their wedding is planned for Thanksgiving time.

Evangeline and John used the gas attack as an impetus to really focus on their relationship and just how precious life is and how quickly it can be taken away.

A week before Evangeline's birthday, John and Evangeline marry in a quiet ceremony with only family and close friends present. Now eight (8) months later Evangeline is eight months pregnant. That was some wedding night. She is due in a month and they're having a boy.

Today the men set up the nursery. John and Evangeline moved into their new home four (4) months ago after an extensive search. They wanted to be settled in before the baby came.

The ladies continued chattering about the upcoming weddings of Antonio and Layla and Bo and Nora. When the discussion turns to wedding favors Evangeline looks up and sees John standing in the doorway. He motions for her and she excuses herself to join him in the kitchen.

"_Do you guys need more food already John? You guys just started. You must really be hungry after all of that hard work."_

"_No, I just want to hold you. How are you feeling?"_

"_I'm feeling fine John. Here put your hands here and feel our son moving around. He's happy, as am I. You guys did a great job on the nursery."_

"_Anything for you my love. Our boy is really moving in there. I can feel him. Not much longer and we'll get to see him. I love you Evangeline. I love you so much." _

With his hands on her belly and the baby still kicking, letting his daddy know that he's there, John lifts Evangeline's chin and gives her one of his 'devouring her lips' kisses. The one that consumes her lips like they are the sweetest and juiciest he has ever tasted and pours his love for her; his passion for her; his want of her; and his need for her into the emotions of that kiss.

That's how their friends find them. Their friends stand quietly in the doorway. Evangeline and John are taking so long in the kitchen their friends are beginning to worry what with Evangeline so far along in her first pregnancy. Seeing that Evangeline and John are fine they back away quietly and return to their respective rooms.

John and Evangeline do not even know that their friends are there because they are still so caught up in each other.


	13. Chapter 13

**Un-betaed**

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**The Next Day**

**Chapter 13**

The delivery goes well, no complications. Everyone say hello to and give a welcome to:

Braeden McBain, born 6:28 a.m., Thursday, October 22nd, 7 lbs, 6 oz, 20 inches long

**The End**

**Author's Note:** Thnx for reading until the end. Hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.


End file.
